"This move does make enormous sense for Google on three primary levels.
1. Google’s stated reason for making a major change. It doesn’t make sense to have 70 different privacy policies. It does make sense to consolidate, and to simplify language. That’s good UX.
2. Google is increasingly a media company. Its revenue comes from ad sales. These privacy policy changes will help it deliver not only better search results (let’s leave personalized search out of the equation for now), but better ads. It’s a major step closer to cracking the database of intentions. What’s a “Jaguar”? An “Apple”? “Bass”? The move really will help refine results.
3. Google needs a 360 degree view of the customer now more than ever. Why? Because Facebook’s already got it. Or is at least a lot closer to having it than Google is if all Google’s information is separately warehoused. Facebook is currently better positioned than Google to “know” what videos you’re watching on YouTube (which Google owns!), and tie that data with what you’re reading in “The Wall Street Journal” or “The Washington Post,” or posting on Pinterest. With Facebook about to go public, Google needs to change that equation, and change it fast."
Though Lieb makes a strong case for the added benefits this provides to Google she fails to touch on the reasons why many Google users are rightfully nervous. Nowhere in her article does she discuss how this will, integrate add security for users among other things. In Facebook's IPO release they actually address the concern over Facebook's privacy and security and state that if their millions of users lose faith in the companies ability to guard the multitude of users' data Facebook will be adversely effected. I have not read, nor heard any concerns by Google how this new policy will handle potential risks to security for ill or for good. If anyone has any information regarding this i would love to hear it, but I am curious over what the new user integration could hold over security concerns. As I have stated before Google was hacked in 2009 by the group Aurora and though measures have been taken to prevent similar attacks, does this new interface help or hinder their ability to guard user data in the future?
